


Stray Cat Strut

by Lucky107



Series: Rock 'n' Roll High School [1]
Category: Bully (Video Games)
Genre: Crude Humor, Friendship, Gen, Mischief, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 19:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7726654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky107/pseuds/Lucky107
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like sharks to the smell of fresh blood in the water, one by one their curious heads turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stray Cat Strut

**Author's Note:**

> Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats - 1981

**September, 2004**

"Off you go," says the ever-prudent Miss Danvers as she all but pushes An out the door.  "You wouldn't want to be late for your orientation, now, would you?"

An is left to retrace her steps amid a sea of curious and judgemental looks from her new peers who loiter around the campus grounds like a den of lazy hyenas just waiting for their moment to strike.  She's not eager to provide one, so she doesn't linger for long.

Most of the girls in front of the dormitory don't pay her any mind until she reaches the front steps and it becomes apparent that she'll be staying.

Like sharks to the smell of fresh blood in the water, one by one their curious heads turn.

"Oh—" a leggy redhead speaks loudly - too loudly to be speaking to her bespectacled friend by her side - and it catches An's attention.  "—you must be the new girl."

An stops on the first step and says, "That's right."

The girls appear neither hostile, nor friendly and the taller of the two adjusts her glasses in an effort to avoid making eye-contact.  "I'm Christy Martin," the redhead says.  "Great first impression of the place, huh?  Give it a few days—you'll regret ever coming here."

Christy flicks her ponytail over her shoulder apathetically and An hurries on her way.

 

An has barely had time to shake off Christy's disturbingly cryptic comment when the door behind her opens with a loud creak.

It's Christy's friend.

"An Hoàng?"  She asks, intimidating lacing her voice with a quiver.  She's the first person on campus not to butcher the pronunciation.  "I'm glad we got a chance to meet so early on.  I'm Angie - Angie Ng - and... well, I don't know if you're aware, but... we're roommates."

"Peachy."

"I—" Angie fidgets with her glasses once more.  "You know, if you would like, I could show you the room."

With a simple smile, An agrees.  "Actually, I'd like that I lot."

\- - -

It's not even noon when the stink of cigarette smoke clouds up the day room.

A senior girl with an affinity for leopard print fabrics and her sophomore friend in tight leather pants show little regard for the other students as they turn the place into their own personal clubhouse.  The smell nearly drives An crazy as she looks through book titles on a nearby shelf.

She's itching for a nicotine fix when a light tap on her shoulder her reminds her of where she is and she turns to meet Angie's large brown eyes.

"Hey," she says.  "Let's go upstairs and unpack before we check out the rest of the campus."

They head up the stairs together with a haste that An can't put her finger on.  It isn't until they reach the safety of their room that Angie pulls the door closed behind herself and releases a held breath.

"I am _so_ sorry about Patti and Lola," she says and she lowers her head in shame.  "They've been like this ever since grade school, I—"

"Don't apologize for them," An retorts as she takes a seat on the bed she's designated as her own.  Compared to the three suitcases at the foot of Angie's bed, An's single tote bag left on the floor feels rather lackluster.  "You ain't done nothin'.  They were mindin' their own, anyhow."

"But—"

"I _smoke_ ," she offers real plain.  "I ain't had a cigarette all day 'n' I get a little bit antsy without my nicotine."

Angie falls back onto her bed and An can't tell if it's in dramatic response to what she's just said or if it's just the exhaustion of the day, but she removes her glasses and rests her arm across her eyes for a long moment of rest.  "I'm sorry, I didn't even realise..."

They're polar opposites.

Every time Angie opens her mouth to make an observation, she risks stepping on An's toes.  When they look out the window, they see two very different worlds and she can't fathom why An has been so nice to her all morning.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is their room number and yet she hears An laughing.

"You shouldn't've—I  never told you."

 

An hoists herself up onto the edge of the Bull fountain and smiles at the sight of the main building in the fading sunlight.  As her first day - full of campus exploration and familiarization with the facilities - draws to a close she finds herself exhausted.

It doesn't take long for Angie to catch on and the taller girl leans up against the cement beside her.

"An," she says.  "Why did you take shop class instead of music?"

An's smile is almost guilty.  She knows that had she taken music instead of shop, their schedules would have aligned almost perfectly.  What she didn't know, of course, was that she and her roommate - a complete stranger with a rule book shoved up her ass - would _actually_ find common ground.  "Guess I've just handled a lot more wrenches than clarinets."

Angie's disappointment is overcome by a toothy smile.  "I never—"

"Miss Danvers already told me," An interrupts.  "Shop is for boys and little lesbians."

Together they share a much-needed moment of laughter before deciding to turn in for the night.


End file.
